GARDEN FLEA-HOPPER IN ALFALFA. 17 



LIFE fflSTORY AND HABITS. 



Difficulty was experienced in securing life-history records during 

 the months of June, July, and August, because of excessive heat. 

 Much patience was needed to bring the adults through the months 

 of January and February, the natural hibernating period. To have 

 the specimens under close observation it was necessary to confine 

 them under more or less artificial conditions. The death rate under 

 these conditions was very high. The combined lengths of the egg, 

 nymphal, and adult stages under conditions at Columbia, S. C, 

 varied with the temperature, being from 58 to 94 days, with an 

 average of 76 days for all conditions. 



MATING. 



Mating usually takes place soon after the individual reaches matu- 

 rity. In the series of experiments conducted by the author it took 

 place from 5 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes after the last instar 

 matured, usually occurring in the daytime. The time covered in 

 the process of mating as recorded in a series of six experiments ranged 

 from 30 minutes to 1 hour and 35 minutes. After mating, the indi- 

 viduals in each case were observed to move in opposite directions 

 and seek suitable places for feeding. 



The brachypterous females are much more abundant throughout 

 the year and were used in nearly all of the life-history experiments. 

 The macropterous female, however, which is very rare, was found 

 to be fertile and to deposit fertile eggs as does the brachypterous 

 form. 



OVIPOSITION. 



During the spnng, summer, and fall, oviposition begins about 4 

 days after mating according to Tables VI and VII, and was observed 

 to take place principally during the night or early morning (see 

 Tabic VII). 



Individuals of Halticus citri almost invariably oviposit on those 

 portions of the plant where previously thev have been feeding, the 

 leaves usually being selected with a preference for the upper side 

 (see Tables I, II, and III). In some instances, however, during the 

 late fall and winter in cage experiments (see fig. 16) it was observed 

 that oviposition took place in tiie stem of the plant and also in the 

 cork which constitutes the bottom of the cages. 



